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Got a query. I've played a bit of anno 2070, and I've enjoyed what I've played - but I get the feeling a more historical setting would appeal to me more. Would anybody who's played the earlier anno games be able to make some recommendations on that front?

Anno 1404 is just as magnificent as 2070, it's pretty much on par even on the graphical side imo.

Europa Universalis: when Portugal gets in a war with Norway, what is the first act of hostility? To invade Florida, of course! Best game ever.

Also Race07. Finished a custom championship with the Radical SR4, which is a joy to drive. I'm going to start a new one, but the transition to an Aston Martin DBRS9 has been kinda painful, the car is so much heavier my braking points are all off. I need to practice a lot more!

The trading cards effect has struck me, so I've put SRTT aside to try Super Sanctum TD. It's got several of the signature features of the original Sanctum, like maze building and the separated build/fight phases. The FPS part has been replaced by 'skills' that work like the orbital defenses in Sol Survivor. Over Sanctum, it has gained an RPG-like leveling system and an articulate system of perks that can be bought with tokens, gained at the end of each level, to customize your playstile.

Cuteness abounds thanks to the 16-bit era inspired graphics, and the chiptune rendition of the Sanctum theme, although the weirdest thing about it is that, even though the engine is a bit rough around the edges (the resolution can't be changed forgossake!) it has more of a finished game feeling than the original. I don't think it's breaking new ground anywhere, nonetheless it's really quite pleasing and addictive like you would expect from any good TD game.

I tried playing Mass Effect 1 yesterday, but it was just as bad as I remembered - looks and plays like beta, AI is beyond stupid, characters are boring as hell(whch I normally care little about but half of the game is talking to them for some reason)and the "space operaness" of it is unbearable. It's like watching the original Star Trek. That's not a compliment.

Then I thought, well the trilogy as a whole is ruined anyway by ME3's ending, so why not just skip the first one and go straight for the second? And damn, it's like it was made by a different company alltogether.

I finished Dishonored's Knife of Dunwall and Brigmore Witches DLC back to back. Both were excellent, and I would defintely buy more of this kind of thing. I like DLC which contains a good chunk of game, and both of these provide levels which rival the quality of the original.

Fez is cute, although I had a problem with a bug at the start, which seems to have resolved itself.

I love a bit of horror so I've also started playing Outlast. I must admit from reviews I thought there was going to be a lot more running away from stuff; and while it does have its adrenaline-fuelled moments, there are some excellent quieter bits, all of which involve the little camcorder that you carry around.

The camera has a night vision mode, which drains the battery life, but it's essential to navigate some of the pitch black areas the game loves to drop you in. The sensation of exploring a passageway in the dark, hearing a noise, and then seeing a pair of glowing green eyes loom in the distance is fucking incredible.

It's not flawless though. I think they may have overdone the gore, it becomes desensitizing when you're walking past your fifteenth pile of bodies and entrails. It should have been used a bit more sparingly.

Also, I do think the game commits the cardinal sin of horror, by showing the monster(s) far too early. The biggest scare I got was the very first one because I was still uncertain at what I could expect. Once you've seen what you're up against, you lose that fear of the unknown which IMO is crucial in these types of experiences.

I would definetely recommend it though, if you're a fan of Amnesia: The Dark Descent and the like.

September looks like it's shaping up to be 'horror month' for me, with Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs imminent and Dead Space 3 sitting on my desktop.

About half way (I think) through Dead space 3 and I'm glad to say it gets better after the bad start. And by better I mean it becomes a more of a dead space game than a cover shooter. However the additions of customization adds a pointless complication the a system that worked fine in the past.
They also added a unified ammo type (one ammo type fits all weapons) that removes all aspects of ammo conservation from the game and I never feel like I need to save ammo for a rainy day (the game throws too much ammo and medikits at the player).